Foreign Language, German
Code: 100222 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2500245 English Studies | FB | 1 | 1 |
| 2502533 French Studies | FB | 1 | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Bernd Springer
- Email:
- Bernd.Springer@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- spanish (spa)
- Some groups entirely in English:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Catalan:
- Yes
- Some groups entirely in Spanish:
- Yes
Prerequisites
No previous knowledge of the German language is required.
Students of the French Studies Degree must take this course at the UB and follow the instructions in the UB Teaching Guide.
Objectives and Contextualisation
- To make known the common roots of the Germanic languages and English
- To make known strategies for the studies of a foreign philology
- To make known the fundamentals of intercultural communication
- Present an introduction to the German language
- To give a first overview of Germanic cultures and civilizations
- To give a global orientation to the geography and history of central Europe
- To prepare for the studies of German Philology
Competences
- English Studies
- Develop critical thinking and reasoning and knowing how to communicate effectively both in your mother tongue and in other languages.
- Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
- Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
- Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- French Studies
- Develop critical thinking and reasoning and knowing how to communicate effectively both in your mother tongue and in other languages.
- Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
- Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
- Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
Learning Outcomes
- Ability to maintain an appropriate conversation.
- Carrying out oral presentations using an appropriate academic vocabulary and style.
- Communicating in the studied language in oral and written form, properly using vocabulary and grammar.
- Identifying the main and secondary ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
- Interpreting the meaning of unknown words thanks to its context.
- Making predictions and inferences about the content of a text.
- Producing a written text that is grammatically and lexically correct.
- Producing an oral text that is grammatically and lexically correct.
Content
1. Introduction to German phonetics.
2. Know how to greet and introduce yourself.
3. History of the German language.
4. Fundamentals of German grammar: conjugation, declension, syntax, subordinate sentences, compound nouns. Learning strategies of German grammar.
5. Germanic Mythology.
6. History of German-speaking countries.
7. Cinema: German History.
8. Geography, culture and civilization: cities, landscapes, regions, gastronomy, traditions, festivals.
9. History of German culture.
10. Intercultural communication: cultural differences and their impact on German-Hispanic communication.
11. Final reflection: What is a language? What does it mean: to study a language? How is it to be done?
Methodology
Master classes
Oral exhibitions of the students
Work in groups in class
Virtual campus
Tutoring
Written works at home
Home readings
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Theoretical and practical classes (expositions and discussions) | 50 | 2 | 7, 8, 3, 6, 2, 4, 5, 1 |
| Writing texts, evaluation activities in the classroom | 25 | 1 | 7, 8, 3, 6, 2, 4, 5, 1 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Reading and study | 50 | 2 | 7, 8, 3, 6, 2, 4, 5, 1 |
Assessment
The use of electronic devices (mobile phones, laptops and others) in class is not allowed! Notes are made on paper. It is obligatory to bring the texts (just read) to class every day when their reading is the subject of the class according to the updated schedule.
Active participation in class is required. If physical presence is not possible, the student has the responsibility to independently procure the material that the teacher has presented in class and has the obligation to demonstrate with written assignments and under the supervision and control of the teacher that he/she has worked the matter in question autonomously. Absence in class of more than 20% of the classes (or of more than 20% of the written works on the classes with absence) must be compensated with an extra work on a subject of history or literature German of an extension of about 5 pages. With an absence of more than 40% of the classes (or the respective assignments) the conditions for an evaluation of the student are no longer given and the mark will be "non-evaluable".
The final note consists of the following parts:
1st test of knowledge evaluation: 40% - evaluates the knowledge about the phonetics and the basics of German grammar and assesses the knowledge about the history of the German language and its grammatical fundamentals.
2nd test of knowledge evaluation: 20% - evaluates the knowledge about the history of the countries of the German language and its geography, culture and civilization.
1 exposure: 20% - It is based on the autonomous preparation (but with the tutoring of the professor) of a subject foreseen for these classes. Evaluation criteria: acquisition of the knowledge and didactic quality of its presentation.
1 essay: 20% - It is based on reading the book by Wolfgang Herrndorf: "Goodbye Berlin." Evaluation criteria: critical analysis and reflection together with the ability to imagine a political situation - historical past and the possibilities to act in it.
Each part of the evaluation must be passed with a minimum grade of 5 (out of 10). As this minimum requirement is not met, the test must be repeated in the recovery weeks. The tests are done on the date indicated or in the weeks of recovery.
On carrying out each assessment activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.
Presentations must be done on the day foreseen in the updated programme (i ti sconstantly updated!), presentations cannot be presented outside the historical or cultural context. If the presentation is not presented on the scheduled day, this part of the evaluation must be retrieved by means of a 15-page text on the same subject in the weeks of retrieval.
All parts of the evaluation must be done, delivered and approved.
To be entitled to recovery, it is necessary to have an average grade of 3.5 and, in addition, it is necessary to have passed with a minimum grade of 5 (out of 10) 60% of the evaluation activities. If the percentage of the suspended parts exceeds 40%, the subject is suspended. In the recovery, also, each of the assessment parts must be passed with a minimum grade of 5 (out of 10), otherwise the subject is suspended.
The class languages are Spanish and Catalan.
The languages of the exhibitions are Spanish, Catalan and English.
The languages of the written works can be: German, Catalan, Spanish, English, French, Italian.
VERY IMPORTANT: The total and partial plagiarism of any exercise will automatically be considered a SUSPENSE (0) of the plagiarized exercise. If the situation is repeated, the entire seminary will be suspended. PLAGIAR is to copy from unidentified sources of a text, be it a single phrase or more, that is posing as its own production (THIS INCLUDES COPYING INTERNET PHRASES OR FRAGMENTS AND ADDING THEM WITHOUT MODIFICATION TO THE TEXT PRESENTED AS OWN) and is a serious offense. It is necessary to learn to respect the intellectual property of others and to always identify the sources that can be made to serve, and it is essential to take responsibility for the originality and authenticity of the text itself.
In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.
In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st knowledge assessment test: tests knowledge of phonetics and the fundamentals of German grammar and evaluates knowledge of the history of the German language and the fundamentals of German grammar. | 40% | 10 | 0.4 | 7, 8, 3, 6, 2, 4, 5, 1 |
| 2on test of evaluation of the knowledge: it evaluates the knowledge on the history of the countries of the German language and its geography, culture and civilization. | 20% | 5 | 0.2 | 7, 8, 3, 6, 2, 4, 5, 1 |
| Essay on Wolfgang Herrndorf's book: Goodbye Berlin. | 20% | 5 | 0.2 | 7, 8, 3, 6, 2, 4, 5, 1 |
| Exposition | 20% | 5 | 0.2 | 7, 8, 3, 6, 2, 4, 5, 1 |